I chose this novel because I had seen the movie made by Stanley Kubrick based on this book. The movie was very good, and it made me want to read the story behind it. It was a very unique and original story, and I wanted to see if the book was as good as the film. Through reading the story, I found that the book and the movie were not very different at all, unlike some films based on books where it is only loosely based on the actual novel. In fact, some lines in the film are directly used word for word from the story.

This picture is taken from "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". It reminded me of my book because in the book, Alex and his droogs beat up innocent people on the streets at night, much like Mr. Hyde. Another connection that is more like a coincedance is that in the film A Clockwork Orange, Alex's weapon of choice is a cane which he uses to beat civilians with.

In the popular TV series Robot Chicken, the intro to the show features a scientist strapping the chicken to a chair and forcing it to watch the show on numerous screens. This is a direct homage to A Clockwork Orange, imitating the part where Alex is taken to the theater and is strapped down and forced to watch films of extreme violence. The most recognizable element is the use of eye clamps so the subject can't close their eyes. The book (and film) are parodied in several other shows, such as South Park, The Simpsons, Regular Show, and more.

Heath Ledger was inspired by Alex in A Clockwork Orange. In The Dark Knight, he said he based his portrayal of The Joker on Alex. To me, the Joker acts as if he was a grown up Alex.

This popular scene from Resevoir Dogs reminded me of the part in the book where Alex and his droogs attacked a couple in their home. In fact, after some research, I found that Quentin Tarantino (director of Resevoir Dogs) made the scene as a direct reference to A Clockwork Orange.This lengthy article reminded me of A Clockwork Orange, because it is about the risks of science and negative effects it has on innocent people. In the article, it talks about the study of deadly viruses and the effects of this research in the wrong hands. The Ludovico Technique used in A Clockwork Orange is similar because it shows the use of extensive Pavlovian research and psychology (with a mix of drug research) and the effects on Alex's psychology and behavior.

In the film, there is a big focus on music, specifically classical. Alex is a huge fan of classical music, his favorite being Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Alex frequently talks about different songs and composers, especially Beethoven (who Alex refers to as "lovely Ludwig van"). Due to the Ludovico Technique, Alex is unable to listen to classical music, because it was being played during his sessions. After the treatment is reversed, the first song he wants to listen to is the 9th Symphony.This is a glossary for Nadsat, which is a slang used by Alex as well as other characters in the story. Nadsat is a mix of Slavic words(baboochka, britva) Cockney rhyming slang (cutter, rozz), exaggerated pronunciation (appy polly loggy), childish language (eggiweggs, guttiwuts, baddiwad), onomatopoeia (use of boohoohoo as a verb), other languages such as Malay and Arabic (orang, yahoodies), Elizibethian English (use of thou, etc), and other assorted slang.
In the part where Alex was basically kept prisoner in the hospital-like area where they conducted the Ludovico treatment, he is treated much like a guest by the staff, but they drug him, abuse him, and prevent him from leaving. This reminded me of Dracula, when Jonathan Harker is treated very kindly by Dracula in his castle, and his refered to as a guest. Harker, as well as Alex, eventually figures out he is being held prisoner.

Alex's gang of droogs also reminded me of the groups in the book The Outsiders, although much more violent and sadistic. Both groups used knives as weapons of choice and got into gang fights very often.
Alex reminded me a lot of the Sisters from The Shawshank Redemption. In the movie, the Sisters are thugs in the prison who frequently beat and even rape inmates. Alex, while in prison, beats a new inmate along with the other members of his cell. He beats the new inmate more severely than any of the others, and unintentionally kills him.
In A Clockwork Orange, Alex meets an author and die hard political activist named F. Alexander. Alexander is a lot like many other rallyers and activists in modern America. He even goes as far as to try and get Alex to kill himself so the government would reform.